Job Description

Location:

Johannesburg or Cape Town

Reports to:

Reservations Manager

Company:

Wilderness

Are you passionate about luxury travel, conservation, and creating unforgettable journeys? Join Wilderness as a Senior Travel Designer and help craft extraordinary experiences across Southern and East Africa!

About the Role

As a Senior Travel Designer, you'll deliver exceptional, personalised travel experiences for our guests and agents. You'll combine deep product knowledge with high-touch service, fast response times, and a consultative approach. Your mission: build strong relationships, curate bespoke itineraries, and drive sales while maintaining healthy margins.

Key Responsibilities

Service Excellence:

Deliver prompt, professional, and solution-oriented service to agents and guests. Communicate proactively and with clarity.

Itinerary Design & Upselling:

Curate bespoke journeys reflecting guest preferences and Wilderness standards. Identify upselling opportunities to enhance guest experiences.

Agent Relationship Management:

Build trust-based relationships, understand agent preferences, and collaborate with Sales and Operations teams.

Booking Accuracy:

Quote accurately and timeously, maintain meticulous booking files, and ensure seamless execution of itineraries.

Operational Coordination:

Work closely with Operations Specialists to ensure a high-quality guest experience and manage all booking logistics.

Performance & Margin Focus:

Optimise bed nights and margins, track financial performance, and ensure revenues are secured.

Product Knowledge:

Stay current on Wilderness camps and experiences across Southern & East Africa, and confidently position our offerings.

Systems & Technology:

Use industry systems (Wilderness Window, WETU, Smartbox, Tourplan, etc.) to streamline processes and enhance service delivery.

Candidate Profile

Qualifications:

Matric with Maths (Standard Grade or higher); tertiary qualification in Travel & Tourism or Hospitality.

Experience:

4-5 years in a senior travel design or reservations role; proven experience in itinerary planning, customer service, and sales; familiarity with TourPlan and Microsoft Office.

Skills:

Exceptional attention to detail, strong communication (English required, European languages advantageous), organisational skills, and ability to upsell and personalise travel experiences.

Personal Attributes:

Creative, proactive, service-driven, passionate about wildlife and conservation, able to work under pressure, and dedicated to customer satisfaction.

Why Wilderness?

Work with a passionate team dedicated to conservation and luxury travel. Deepen your destination expertise through ongoing training and familiarisation trips. Be part of a company that values creativity, initiative, and going the extra mile.

Interests:

A passion for wildlife and a commitment to sustainability and conservation.

Apply for this position with us on WhatsApp. Simply send the word 'Hi' to +260761166303